


Last Customer

by mongoose_bite



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Anal Sex, Canonverse AU, Fluff, M/M, amputee character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-04
Updated: 2014-03-04
Packaged: 2018-01-14 12:26:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1266523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mongoose_bite/pseuds/mongoose_bite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hange is usually Levi's first and last customer of the day, but one rainy evening a scruffy young man with startling green eyes seeks shelter in the little coffee shop, and Levi decides not to close on time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Last Customer

Levi opened Isabel's at six every morning. He'd pull up the blinds, set the little chalkboard outside under the awning, and unstack all the chairs, and then last thing flip the sign on the door from 'Closed' to 'Open.'

Every morning, almost exactly two minutes after he'd done so, Hange would appear and order their first short black of the day. Levi would watch with an unimpressed expression as they'd toss their drink down the back of their neck like a shot of whiskey, blink away tears of pain because it was still hot, and trot off to work.

He didn't think Hange really needed any extra energy.

Today was no different. The skies were grey and gloomy, and Levi knew from the ache in his back that it was going to rain later. He was only forty-five, but his souvenirs of his time in uniform were not limited to the regimental colours that hung at the back of the shop and he could always tell when rain was coming.

When Hange returned at lunchtime for their midday fix, queuing up behind office workers and mothers with small children, it had been raining off and on all morning. The streets of Shiganshina were gleaming and lined with puddles. Levi had set out a little box for people to leave their wet umbrellas in, but he couldn't do anything about them tramping with muddy shoes all over his perfectly swept floor.

He was busy today. The bad weather kept an endless rotation of people coming in his door for hot chocolate and coffee, and from about ten in the morning until three he barely had time to sit down, and he ate his lunch in bites stolen between waves of orders. Levi didn't mind; it was a challenge to keep up. He worked alone, and preferred it like that. He'd thought about hiring an assistant a couple of times, but Isabel's ran exactly the way he wanted it to, and the thought of some clueless kid screwing up his routines put him off the idea entirely. His customers could see his was busy, and if they couldn't be bothered waiting an extra two minutes in the line they could piss off and try the other shop down the street, which Levi had never set foot in.

Hange looked frazzled at midday, although that might have just been a side-effect of the humidity curling their hair. They slugged down another shot, bought an apricot pastry and took someone else's umbrella from the box near the door before hurrying out again.

When things got quiet again Levi mopped the floor and then made himself a cup of tea, which he drank watching the rain speck on the windows.

Business dropped off in the afternoon, but he kept his doors open for Hange, who would visit one last time after work. They arrived later than usual, a large box under their arm. They wrestled it in with their umbrella and Levi limped over and helped them in.

“Thanks,” Hange said, their glasses fogging up in the relative warmth of the shop. They put the box down on the counter with a thump and groaned. “I have to go home and mark all of these now.”

“What can I get you?” Levi asked. Hange wanted the same thing morning and noon, but for their evening drink they usually chose something at random.

“Mocha,” Hange said, taking their glasses off and cleaning them with a cloth. “With marshmallows.”

“Disgusting,” Levi said, and started making it. “Is it exams already?”

Now they could both relax and talk. They rarely spoke of anything of consequence; the past remained where it belonged, and they caught up on each other's day like an old married couple.

“Yep, now is the time when they prove their ignorance.” Hange grinned. “I wonder how many will cry this year when I hand the papers back.”

“You could have stuck with research you know,” Levi said. Hange pointed at the last slice of cake under the counter and Levi served it up for them along with their drink.

“And miss out on educating the brightest minds of the younger generation? Bah, my papers are published.” They sighed, “There's no worlds for me to conquer now. Thanks.” They wrapped their hands around the mug Levi slid across the counter.

It was dark outside, the coffee shop an oasis of light and heat in the rain. Levi lived above his shop in a little apartment, and he was glad he wouldn't have to walk home. He dragged a stool around to his side of the counter and took the weight off.

Hange looked at him sympathetically. “Ah, this weather doesn't suit you, does it?”

“I'll live,” Levi said. He didn't want to continue on this subject. “I notice Erwin's face on everything again.”

“The election's early next year,” Hange said. “Don't tell me he's given up sending you invitations to all those fundraising events at last.”

“No, I just toss them without reading them.”

Hange laughed, “You should go, catch up with old friends sometime.”

“I don't want to be held up as some sort of political statement. Erwin gets my vote; that's all I owe him now.”

Hange didn't push it. They sipped their drink and they watched the rain in comfortable silence for a while.

“How am I going to get this home without it getting wet?” Hange asked, looking at the cardboard box of exams. “I'll just have to wedge the umbrella over it again.” Hange lived further away from Isabela's than they worked. They were going to get soaked.

Levi was unsympathetic. He idly ran a cloth down the bench, mopping up the rainwater that dripped from Hange's sleeve.

Hange finished the last of their cake, and pushed the plate away. “Well, I suppose-” they broke off as the bell over the door chimed. Levi looked up, surprised; Hange was usually the only customer he ever had once the sun went down, and he hadn't expected anyone else, especially on such a lousy evening.

The young man edging his bag in through the door wasn't carrying an umbrella. He was wearing a long coat, and thick-soled boots, and he had messy dark hair plastered down over his forehead. He ruffled it as he stepped inside, and Levi frowned as he watched water drip all over his floor.

“Hello, are you open?” The young man, mid-twenties, brown stubble, boyish face, broad shoulders, wide green eyes- Levi was _not_ staring, he was just surprised- asked, hovering in the doorway.

“Barely,” Levi said.

“Ah, good.” He took this as an invitation, and Hange watched with wide eyes as he shrugged off his coat, a veritable wave of rainwater falling off it as he did so. “It's pouring out there,” he said unnecessarily.

“Is he your type?” Levi asked Hange sharply.

“What?” Hange fought back a smile taking their eyes off the newcomer for the first time since he'd arrived. “Well, I wonder.” They gave up trying to control their grin as the young man hung up his coat on the hat stand and approached the counter.

Levi folded his arms.

“Um, can I order a cappuccino?” the kid asked. Because he was a kid. Definitely. Dripping water all over the place like he owned it, still trying to ruffle the water out of his hair with a shy smile.

“You just did,” Levi said.

“Was it a wrong order?” he asked, while Hange chuckled into their drink. “Is there something better?” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. He shot Hange an amused look, but then his attention stayed fixed on Levi.

“Not if you're desperate to water down the flavour,” Levi said, getting his drink ready.

“How would you drink it then?”

“I drink tea,” Levi said.

“Then why on earth do you run a coffee shop?” he grinned.

“Are you here for coffee or are you here to ask intrusive questions?”

“Coffee! Please.” He behaved himself while Levi worked. Hange didn't look like they were game to say anything at all, sipping their drink and listening carefully.

“There you go,” Levi said, placing the cup down in front of him. He reached for the sugar, caught Levi's eye, and changed his mind.

“So, what's new around here?” he asked.

“Is that a serious attempt to make conversation?” Levi asked.

“Hey, I've been gone a long time. This is my hometown, you know. I saw lots of new buildings going up.”

“They're redeveloping lots of places,” Hange spoke up. “The economy's going well.”

“You've been reading too many of Erwin's pamphlets, Glasses,” Levi said. “Shit's the same as it's always been, there's just more of it nowadays.”

“You sound old, Levi,” Hange said.

“Levi,” the young man said softly to himself. “I'm Eren.”

“I see.”

“It's nice to meet you, Eren,” Hange said, holding out their hand. Eren shook it. “I'm Hange. I work at the university. You should come and visit.”

“I might,” Eren said, looking Levi up and down. Levi pretended he didn't notice, and started cleaning up behind the counter.

“We are closing soon,” he reminded them.

“Yes, of course,” Hange said. They finished off their mocha. “Thank you, Levi. Delicious as always. I should get home and start marking these papers.” They gathered up their box. “Bye, Eren.” They waved and grinned and wrestled both box and umbrella out the door.

Silence fell.

“The coffee's good,” Eren said. “You were right, it didn't need sugar.”

Levi nodded.

“Cause I'm sweet enough, right?” he added, tilting his head to the side in a way that was presumably supposed to be enticing.

Levi raised an eyebrow. “What does that mean?”

Eren shrugged, “Nothing, I guess.”

“Hange was setting an example, you know, leaving before closing time.”

“I've never been very good at following examples,” Eren said. “I prefer to follow orders.”

Levi snorted. “I doubt that.”

“Well, it does depend who's giving them.” He spoke softly, meaningfully, and Levi found himself meeting his gaze. Closing time was a few minutes past now, but he didn't say anything. Eren smiled at him, and sipped his coffee. Levi watched his neck move as he swallowed.

He'd run out of things to do behind the counter, and he moved away and started stacking up the chairs. He'd taken in the outside furniture long ago, when it looked like the rain was settling in. He sighed heavily as his back twinged.

“Let me help,” Eren said, standing up.

“Don't be ridiculous. I can manage my own fucking shop,” Levi said, and started working faster.

“I just want to help.” Eren started on the other side of the room, so there was nothing much Levi could do about it, so he scowled and ignored him. When the chairs were put away Eren went back to his coffee while Levi closed the blinds. He nearly tripped over Eren's bag.

“It's getting late,” Levi said. “Don't you have somewhere to be?”

Eren shrugged, “Not really. Shiganshina is my hometown, but my home is long gone.”

“I'm sorry to hear that,” Levi said.

“I was just wandering and I saw this place, and it looked warm and dry.”

“Well it _was_ dry,” Levi said, looking at the water on the floor.

Eren smiled, “It's nice. It's a nice cafe. I'm very happy I discovered it. Even if it is run by a cranky old man who doesn't know he's met his new best customer.”

“You're very sure of yourself,” Levi said, limping over.

Eren looked up at him. “I've never been more sure of anything in my life.”

Levi looked at him for one long moment, and then the facade cracked and he smiled.

“Honestly,” he muttered, as Eren wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him closer. “I missed you.” He ran his fingers through Eren's damp, unkempt hair.

“Yeah. I wonder what Hange's gonna make of it though.”

“Who gives a fuck what Hange thinks?” Levi muttered and bent down to kiss him. He tasted like coffee, and his kisses were as fierce and clumsy as they always were when he'd been away.

“You should turn the sign over,” Eren said, his eyes dark.

“I should have shut ages ago,” Levi replied. He reluctantly released Eren and did as he suggested, picking up his bag on the way. It smelled damp and dirty, like horse and old socks. He glanced at the water on the floor.

“It will dry,” Eren said. He knew better than to try and take his bag back so he settled for tugging on Levi's arm. “You're just going to clean it again tomorrow anyway.”

“Fine, fine.” He let Eren lead him upstairs to his apartment, clumping up after him as the younger man hurried up eagerly.

“I'm gonna shower first,” Eren said.

“You'd better!”

His laugher fitted perfectly into all the empty spaces in Levi's rooms. Levi took Eren's bag to the laundry and upended it over the sink. He could start them soaking now at least, and hopefully the weather would be fine enough to dry them  tomorrow .  When he returned Eren had piled the rest of his clothes outside the bathroom and Levi collected those as well.

Levi took off his apron and hung it on its hook in the kitchen. Dinner could wait. He  took off his vest and unbuttoned his shirt while he listened to Eren humming loudly and tunelessly to himself in the shower.

Some things never changed.

Ten minutes later, Eren flung the bathroom door open with a dramatic gust of steam. His hair was slicked back from his face, and he was entirely naked. Levi could only stare, running his gaze up the long lines of muscle on his arms and legs, admiring the way he moved as he strolled into the room. Levi could tell by the knowing smile on his face and the fact that his cock was already at half-mast that he enjoyed the attention.

He'd grown into a magnificent young man.  And a t least he'd finally stopped growing. For a while it seemed every time he came back he'd added an inch to his height. He needed a haircut badly, and hadn't bothered to shave in the shower. Levi could see the tan lines on his neck and wrists, but he had no scars, no blemishes.

“I'm going to have a shower as well,” Levi said, while he still remembered.

Eren looked disappointed. “Why? You don't need one. You haven't been on a horse for three days straight.”

“I smell like coffee.”

“I like coffee,” Eren grinned. “It was the best thing we've brought back so far.” He didn't argue though. He strolled over and dipped his head down to press his lips briefly to Levi's mouth and then flopped back on the bed. “Suit yourself. I can wait a bit longer.”

Levi stripped off the rest of his clothes and sat on the edge of the bed to take off his leg. It didn't bother either of them any more. He could make his way around his apartment well enough without it, and he swung himself over to the bathroom.

He couldn't remember much about  exactly what had happened. His war ended between a titan's teeth, his left leg torn off,  with  several abdominal wounds and two cracked vertebrae in his lower back. He'd heard later that Eren's reaction to seeing what was left of him had been genuinely frightening.

There was a wooden stool in his shower and he sat on it as he turned on the water. He didn't have to wait for it to warm up.

All he remembered was floating in a hazy red ocean of pain for a long time, and when he woke up he wasn't the man he had been. Mikasa had taken the mantle of Humanity's Strongest by then, and she wore it well.

They told  him that the cycle was broken. It was only a matter of time before humanity could leave the walls. A matter of time and Eren. They told him he'd made all the difference in the end,  that his record would never be matched. They told him to try moving his toes.  The ones he had left, anyway.

That wasn't such a burden. It gave him something to do as he watched the weather outside his window and hurt.

Eren visited him  and cried and  poured out a barely-coherent confession of adolescent adoration that looking back Levi realised he shouldn't have been so surprised by. But he had been surprised, and horrified that Eren would think to bind himself to this ruin of a man. He'd turned him down. He'd told him to go and find his ocean.

Eren had told him he would,  that he understood why Levi couldn't accept him yet,  but that Levi had better be damn ready to see it for himself when he got back. 

It gave him something else to do and he did it. Eren's expression when he returned and saw Levi stumping around on his first ill-fitting wooden leg told him that this, whatever it was, was probably inevitable. Levi held out for the months of training, and the weeks of riding, but when he saw the endless expanse of water, dizzying in its sheer size and awesome in the most literal sense of the word, he'd pulled Eren's mouth down to his own.  The first time they lay down together, they couldn't sleep because of the sound of the waves.

Not that they'd tried for quite a while.

They'd travelled for years,  and  brought back coffee, among other things, to a humanity cautiously setting foot outside its walls. Every time they returned, more farms had sprung up on the outside, more people were on the roads. Erwin made several fortunes. Levi didn't really care.

But his back ached after riding all day, and the scenery started to all look alike to him, and eventually he knew he'd be better off staying behind. They'd  quarrelled, the first real argument they'd had, and parted on bad terms.

When Eren returned, Levi practically did himself another injury while they were getting reacquainted,  and for half a week they barely went outside the house to buy food,  but the fundamental problem had remained. Levi refused to spend his time pining for his young adventurer, trapped in an endless cycle of heart wrenching goodbyes and tearful reunions.

“Don't pine then,” Eren had said. “Forget me. It won't make any difference when I come back.”

And that's how the game had begun. Eren would approach as  if they'd never met , and by the time he got close enough it was like he'd never been gone. Sometimes the game barely lasted longer than a few sentences, once they'd gone to bed as tipsy strangers.

This was the first time someone else had played along, however. Levi rinsed his hair and supposed he'd owe Hange an explanation eventually. Or maybe he wouldn't; Hange was either supremely disinterested in the private lives of other humans or surprisingly tactful and Levi still couldn't work out which after all these years.

He turned off the water and grabbed his towel before levering himself upright. He half expected Eren would be asleep, coffee or not, because Levi knew he always pushed himself those last few days on the road, to travel faster and return home that much sooner.

Eren wasn't asleep.

He'd pulled the blankets back and was sprawled across Levi's bed, one arm pillowed behind his head, his cock drooling on his stomach, his legs spread and knees curled up while he lazily fingered himself with his other hand. He gave Levi a wicked smile.

“You took your time.”

Levi was made of sterner stuff, and despite the fact that it took all his willpower not to hurl himself in Eren's general direction, he leant against the wall instead.

“If you're busy maybe I should leave you alone.”

Eren's come hither look evaporated and he sat up, and suddenly he looked like nineteen again,  all desperate and uncertain . “Don't you dare!” Levi relented and Eren crawled over to meet him as he hauled himself over to the bed. “You bastard,” he said, wrapping his arms around Levi's waist and pressing his mouth to on of the scars on his stomach. 

“Don't pick fights you can't win,” Levi murmured.

“What a ridiculous thing to say,” Eren grinned, and then pulled them both down on to the bed. “I always pick fights I can't win.”

Eren coiled around him as they got reacquainted. Levi kissed him, his lips stinging slightly when he scraped them too hard on Eren's stubble in his enthusiasm. And he was enthusiastic; he could never get enough of Eren, the way he tasted, the way he smelled (once he'd scrubbed off; as lovestruck as Levi remained all these years later, he still had some standards.) Eren grabbed at him, his fingers digging in to the muscles on his arms and back hard enough to hurt; he'd learned by now that Levi hated being treated carefully. This body should have been a corpse, but it wasn't and Levi was proud of that fact. He'd grown stronger to compensate for his loss; his arms and remaining leg all capable of holding up his own weight for minutes at a time with ease.

“Missed this,” Eren muttered running his tongue along a tendon in Levi's neck. “Missed you.” He was still hard and breathless from his earlier solo play, and Levi was soon in a similar state.

“Get on your hands and knees,” Levi breathed, giving Eren's cock one long stroke, just to make sure it was still as he remembered.

“Are you sure?” Eren opened his eyes and looked at him. “Your back-”

Levi scowled, “Didn't you say something earlier about following orders?”

“Yes, Sir.” Eren grinned, and did as he was told, while Levi leaned over to dip his fingers into the open jar on the bedside table.

He sat back and admired Eren for a few moments, “Are you ready or would you rather I-”

“No, I'm good. Please.”

Levi raised an eyebrow. Eren had a habit of asking for more than he could take, especially when it had been a long time, but he didn't argue.

“It's your arse.” He slicked himself with a practised, economical stroke of his cock and positioned himself, taking his weight on his one remaining knee and steadying himself against Eren. He ran his hands over Eren's back and bent down to kiss one of the bumps on his spine. “Deep breath.”

“Mm, please Levi-” his breath hitched as Levi nudged the head of his cock between his buttocks. He didn't say much more, simply making soft choked noises as Levi pushed his way inside his lover.

It had been a while. Levi didn't stop himself groaning when he was finally pressed flush against Eren's arse, his cock buried as deep as it could go. They stayed like that, just breathing for a while, Eren's head dropped forward as he rested his forehead on the pillow.

Eren was passionate, impulsive and jaw-droppingly attractive and Levi wouldn't have been surprised if he wasn't entirely faithful when he was away outside the walls. It didn't bother him that much; whatever he did with other people it didn't detract from what he had with Levi, and he was pretty sure no one, _no one_ else ever got to have him like this.

He pulled back and Eren whined, and it probably did sting, the overconfident idiot, but Levi knew he'd tell him to stop if he wanted him to. His back twinged and he gritted his teeth as he rolled his hips forward again. Yeah, he was probably an overconfident idiot as well.

So the pair of overconfident idiots fucked like the didn't have to get up the next morning. Levi dug his fingers into Eren's hips, his hair swinging before his eyes as he rediscovered the angle that made Eren yelp and scrabble helplessly against the sheets and beg him not to stop. As if he could. Eren's body drew him back in, his back arching to meet Levi's every thrust.

Eren didn't touch himself. This was shaping up to be one of those amazing reunion fucks that would have him coming without anything but Levi's cock in his arse. Levi was going to do his best, anyway, ignoring the insistent ache in his back.

Eren muffled himself in the pillow, and Levi knew he was close. He'd given up on trying to maintain control of his movements. Sheer instinct drove him now in mindless pursuit of his own release, and he suspected Eren could tell. Levi was careful and considerate and tried to give Eren everything he wanted but sometimes nothing got his lover off like feeling him lose control.

He came, shuddering and calling Erens name, his fingers clenched around Eren's hip bones, and he didn't know if Eren had come or not until he eased himself out and Eren collapsed onto his side with a satisfied groan.

They'd have to wash the sheets as well, he realised. Eren generated so much extra laundry.

Levi crawled up beside him and collapsed on his stomach.

“Ow,” Eren said.

“Yeah.”

“Good though. I needed that.”

“Yeah.”

Their eyes met and they chuckled at each other. Eren reached over and started massaging Levi's lower back with strong, gentle fingers. The skin was hard and puckered over the scars, but Eren could dig down to the tired muscles beneath and Levi sighed. It would help, but he was going to hurt tomorrow.

Eren rolled closer, unbothered by the damp patch and kissed Levi's shoulder and cheek and Levi tugged at a strand of his hair.

“You need a haircut,” he said. “You're starting to look like your titan.”

“I'll get one tomorrow.”

The sweat dried on their skin, and Levi's heartbeat returned to normal.

“I'm hungry,” Eren said.

“Yeah.” It wouldn't do to sleep now. They rolled out of bed and Levi put his leg back on and they got dressed without hurry. Eren knew there were always clean clothes for him in Levi's wardrobe, and they still fit. It was still raining, and soon Levi added this hiss of frying onions to the soft sound of it falling on the roof. As usual Eren had arrived without warning, and he bisected the sausages and cooked extra vegetables to pad the meal out for two. Eren would buy extra food tomorrow.

They ate at Levi's kitchen table, a bottle of wine between them. Eren told him about the expedition, and what they'd discovered out there. The usual things; lakes, waterfalls, forests, plains. They hadn't found the oceans of sand yet.

“They're getting long, aren't they?” Levi said.

Eren sighed, “Yeah. We've mapped a lot. It takes months just to get to new territory now. Anyone with two coins to rub together is trying to finance an expedition. It's crowded out there.”

He smiled and then it faded.

“I'm not really necessary,” he said. “But I know people are more comfortable if I'm outside the walls.”

“Do you want to stop going on the expeditions?” Levi asked.

“I still enjoy them,” Eren said. “But it's not just that I miss you, I feel like I'm missing out on you as well. At this rate I'll be gone for more than a year next time and you really will forget me.”

“You know this is your home,” Levi said. “It might be too small for two but, we could probably manage.”

“But what would I do? Run the shop with you?”

“No,” Levi said firmly. “I don't need help, sorry.”

“I knew you'd say that,” Eren said with a smile. “So.” He finished his wine. “I was thinking about Erwin's settlements. He wants to start putting whole towns outside the walls. I mean, everything has to be built from scratch but.” He looked Levi in the eye, “We could be together and free of the walls. I mean, the place is gonna need a coffee shop.”

“Is that really what you want to do?” Levi asked.

“I'm tired. And the others are too. If even Armin wants to get married-”

“Armin's getting married?”

“Ah well, no. He said they were talking about it. I'm not supposed to say anything though.”

“My lips are sealed.” Levi stood and Eren handed him his plate as he took the dishes to the sink. “I suppose I'll go and see Erwin then,” he said.

“You're actually okay with it?” Eren asked.

“Why wouldn't I be? It's going to be a pain in the arse to move, though.” He started filling the sink.

He heard Eren's chair scrape as he pushed it back and a few moments later his arms wound around Levi's shoulders.

“Hey,” Eren said softly. “Let's go back to bed.”

Levi looked up at him. “Not until I've done the dishes.”

Eren smiled at him, “Fine. You will be you.” He let him go and picked up a cloth. “Hurry up then.”

Later, when the lights were out, Eren rolled on top of Levi and they moved against each other, slowly, sharing lazy kisses. Levi let his back rest, letting Eren grind his cock against his leg at his own pace. Eren came eventually, but Levi didn't have the energy to do so again so soon, and then they listened to the rain on the roof as they lay tangled in the dark.

“Hey,” Eren said. “I always wondered, you know, why you opened your shop. You don't even like coffee.”

“It wouldn't make a profit if I just sold tea,” Levi said drowsily.

“You always said you hated people, but you spend all day making drinks for them,” Eren pressed.

Levi sighed. Eren fell silent as he waited for Levi to answer.

“I don't like people, but if I didn't spend my days among them, I'd just become a recluse. I'd become someone not worth you coming home to.”

“Levi.” Eren held him closer.

“It's true,” Levi said flatly. “I'd forget how to talk to people. I'd forget how to talk to you. What kind of relationship would it be if you spent all your time trying to coax me out of my shell? Isn't this better?”

“Hmm.” He felt Eren's lips against his cheek. “Thank you, Levi. I'm sorry I made you spend so much time waiting.”

“Huh. Go to sleep.” He could hear the smile in his own voice.

Levi was woken up by a hammering sound from the floor below. The sun was up, but it was still early, and his back ached. Eren was face-down in the pillow next to him, his bare shoulders rising and falling as he slept on oblivious to the racket.

“What the fuck?” Levi muttered. He sat up and winced, and tried and failed to make his back click before he sleepily hauled himself over to the window. The morning air raised goosebumps on his arms and chest as he leaned out over the flower box.

“What?” he shouted.

“Levi!” Hange looked up at him. “Why aren't you open? It's six! I need my coffee.”

“Go away!”

“What's going on?” Eren said sleepily.

“Go back to sleep,” Levi said, as Eren rolled over and rubbed his eyes. “It's just Hange throwing a fit.”

“My arse is sore,” Eren muttered. Levi was not surprised and he just rolled his eyes. He wasn't about to admit to the state of his back.

“I'm your best customer,” Hange called up.

“Not any more!” Eren appeared at Levi's elbow, apparently having bounced out of bed like he was still a teenager, sore arse or no.

“Good morning, Eren!” Hange waved. “It's nice to see you back.”

“It's good to be back.” Eren yawned, “You know, I could go some coffee,” he said to Levi, looking at him with big green eyes in a way that ought to have been an arrestable offence.

Levi sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Fucking hell, these idiots would be the death of him.

“Five minutes!” he called down.

Six minutes later, he flipped the sign from 'Closed' to 'Open' and stood aside as Hange waltzed in. This time, however, they were not his first customer.

His first customer, who had also been his last customer, was sitting at the bench with his elbows on the polished wood as relaxed as if he owned the place and, after Hange had left again a few minutes later, he tasted like coffee.


End file.
